My favorite is the Signature. It is moderately priced (for a Begali ). It is typically beautiful as are all Begalis, has a great adjustment range, is easy to adjust, and you can even adjust the paddle spacing.

My favorite is the Signature. It is moderately priced (for a Begali ). It is typically beautiful as are all Begalis, has a great adjustment range, is easy to adjust, and you can even adjust the paddle spacing.

If a straight key is your desire the Spark is the best there is IMO.

I have both the signature and the Spark.

73 Gene K3GC

Ditto - Have not used any others... the Signature and Spark comprise my Begali collection... No compelling reason for me to search further... Be sure to get the gold contacts on the paddle... just saying'

The Intrepid bug is quite a piece of design, endlessly adjustable, will work at speeds as low as about 12 wpm. Excellent if you have the bug love or is it the love bug?

The HST which is a fine single lever paddle and also a very nice sideswiper at the flip of a switch. Tension and contact spacing instantly adjustable. I have the older model with a longer lever. It works very well, is self-centering and weighs 4 lbs so it doesn't dance around. The newer, shorter lever model, also has a good reputation.

The HST which is a fine single lever paddle and also a very nice sideswiper at the flip of a switch. Tension and contact spacing instantly adjustable. I have the older model with a longer lever. It works very well, is self-centering and weighs 4 lbs so it doesn't dance around. The newer, shorter lever model, also has a good reputation.

The new model is what I have. It also has a drilled-out paddle, which I like.

I had a really nice N3ZN dual paddle key and loved it, but at Dayton about 4 years ago I played with the Begali Mono Sculpture single paddle key and found (a) after all these years of using iambic keying, I really preferred single paddle keying and (b) the Begali key had the perfect feel for my hand and sending style.

After gulping at the price, which meant spending more on one key than the sum total I'd spend on keys and keyers in 45 years as a ham, I said "it's only money, you never see the bank truck in the funeral procession: and bought it. Been loving it for 4 years now.

I use the N3ZN key for Field Day, where the other ops like two paddle keying, and you can't go wrong with that one either.

I also like the HST. I have a signature and it works well but with it I am always adding an extra dot or dash where it does not belong. I don't do this with the HST. Slow or fast, this key works well.Art

Then take your pick after that. For high speed work I prefer magnetic return. Begalis spring mechanism is terrible in my view, its very mushy and its adjustment range is not broad enough in my view. Its hard to adjust for a sweet spot

The HST key would be my choice, however frankly speaking any good single lever by N0SA or N3ZN would be good alternate choices.

If you have attended any HST competition you will soon realize that operator skill is more important than the brand of key. The keys that the championsuse especially from East Europe and Russia are primitive as hell. Many are homebrew but there seems to be a popular single lever key that I dont know whomakes it. I could not really get the answer to who makes these Russian HST Keys.

One thing I do suggest you get is a Key Dynamometre. I learned a lot about good and bad keying mechanisms by testing keys with this instrument. The dynamometre confirmed my low opinion of the early Begali spring return mechanism.

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